MAP24: Culture Shock (Ancient Aliens)

MAP24: Culture Shock is the twenty-fourth map of Ancient Aliens. It was designed by Chris Kassap (lupinx-Kassman), with extensive additions by Paul DeBruyne (skillsaw) (→see trivia section), and uses the music track "Imaginarium," composed by Stuart Rynn (stewboy). The par time is 7:00.

Culture Shock was featured in Doomworld's Top 100 Most Memorable Maps, placing 5th.

Secrets

 * 1) In the first area, the switch in the garden closest to the rocket launcher opens up the cage with the super shotgun inside. Quickly run here to get it as well as stimpacks, a backpack, and shotgun shells. (sector 885)
 * 2) Open the red door and you should spot a target switch past the cage on the right. Shoot it and turn around towards the rope that's now available. You will wind up in a small bedroom with energy cell packs and a stimpack, as well as an armor and plasma rifle (but only on Hurt Me Plenty or higher). (sector 2407)
 * 3) In the first area, you may notice that one of the switches in one of the gardens requires the yellow key. Make your way to the area where the yellow key is located. When you do, turn around and climb up the tower that you previously climbed to open access to the yellow key. The top of this area had yellow bars before, but they should be gone now. From there, just backtrack all the way until you reach the yellow switch from before. This opens up a blocked tunnel near the rocket launcher. You will wind up in a dark room, where as you move forward, messages appear on the floor. Follow them to a room with a switch, and you will free the person from the nearby cage and claim a medikit and energy cell packs. More importantly, head south and the southeast corner has a BFG9000 and a teleporter back. (sector 3059)

Bugs
At the red skull area, the switch lowers the red skull as well as a white block with a revenant inside, both for 10 seconds. If you stand inside this block as it rises, you will be unable to get out.

The maximum number of items you can receive for this map is 92%, as three health bonuses (things 616, 619 and 620) are unobtainable.

The button at the start consists of two linedefs meant to be pressed simultaneously, but one can be pressed independently by pressing the sides touching the button, lowering only parts of the teleporter railings.

The silent teleport transitions in the yellow key tower's stairwell are all placed correctly except for those at the highest point in the tower, meaning you can walk backwards immediately after entering it and bump into a black wall.

Current records
The records for the map at the Doom Speed Demo Archive are:

The data was last verified in its entirety on July 10, 2023.

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Trivia

 * After the map got onto the Top 100 Most Memorable Maps list, Chris Kassap which reveals the backstory behind the location in the map, as well as a few development trivia.
 * The TV in secret #2 shows the from the 1971 Emerson, Lake & Palmer album of that name.
 * In the comment section under the playthrough of this map on decino's channel, skillsaw commented on this level as follows:


 * Chris Kassap (lupinx-Kassman) replied to skillsaw's comment under decino's playthrough of the map, sharing the following information about this level: